Spa Executive - December 2021

More documents

Recommendations

Info

FORBES TRAVEL GUIDE’S AMANDA FRASIER ON WHAT MAKES A FIVE-STAR HOSPITALITY EXPERIENCE Forbes Travel Guide’s Executive Vice President of Standards & Ratings, Amanda Frasier, talks about what sets a Five-Star hospitality experience apart from the rest. Forbes Travel Guide (FTG) is the global authority on luxury hospitality. Since its beginnings as Mobil Travel Guide in 1958, FTG has grown to operate in 72 countries, and its coveted annual Star Rating system has become the gold standard against which all luxury travel is measured. FTG’s professional inspectors travel incognito to assess hotels, restaurants, and spas based on 900 objective standards that determine the ratings. December 2021 Issue • p. 26
As Forbes Travel Guide’s Executive Vice President of Standards & Ratings, Amanda Frasier oversees all global expansion plans and is in charge of maintaining the overall integrity of the evaluation process. Ms. Frasier serves as chairman of the Forbes Travel Guide Standards Advisory Committee and directs the continual refinement of Forbes Travel Guide’s service and facility standards. She also spearheads the production of the For bes Travel Guide Luxury Summit, which serves as the official annual celebration of the Star Award winners. Earning FTG’s Five-Star award is probably the dream of every hospitality leader. So, we spoke with Ms. Frasier about what sets a Five-Star hospitality experience apart from the rest, and how Forbes Travel Guide’s standards and ratings have changed over the past couple of years. Tell us about your career and how you came to be in this role. I was bitten by the travel bug as a teenager, while on a family holiday to Greece. I fell in love with the experience and thought to myself that somehow, some way, I wanted to work in the travel industry. I did a travel and tourism course in school, but I realized quickly that college was not for me. I wanted to get out there. So, I got a job as a housekeeper in a small country house hotel in England. And, once I was in, there was no going back. I didn’t want to do anything else. I worked in several hotels and held various different jobs, moving up through the front office. Then, in 2005, Mobil Travel Guide, (what Forbes Travel Guide was called at the time) was embarking on its consulting business, which we’re well known for today. The hotel where I was working received this literature, and I thought it was phenomenal that this business, which was well known for star rating properties, and that had been very opaque about their system, was becoming transparent to help support hotels, restaurants, and spas through their journey of service improvement. I wanted to be a part of that. So, I wrote in asking for a job and was fortunate to be offered a position. I started as an incognito inspector, worked my way through the company, and now I oversee standards and ratings. I’ve been with Forbes Travel Guide for nearly 16 years. December 2021 Issue • p. 27
Page 1 and 2: Spa Executive For leaders in the bu
Page 3 and 4: Letter from Publisher Dear readers,
Page 5 and 6: People don’t want to work in hosp
Page 7 and 8: SEVEN WELLNESS TRENDS FOR 2022 Cons
Page 9 and 10: Sustainability Sustainability is no
Page 11 and 12: we’ve seen more and more women em
Page 13 and 14: For example: Benjamin Donat Spa Dir
Page 15 and 16: Stress, meanwhile, is also linked t
Page 17 and 18: Thermal bathing People have been ta
Page 19 and 20: Guest rooms offer sophisticated neu
Page 21: Stand out items on the incredible m
Page 24 and 25: As we look into the new year, I see
Page 28 and 29: What does your job entail? My key r
Page 30 and 31: Are you focusing on new or differen
Page 32 and 33: "We’re seeing more interesting tr
Page 34 and 35: People are seeking wellness more th

Spa Executive - December 2021

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?